The holidays are an easy time to reconnect with friends and family over some fun and food—unless you have a food allergy or intolerance.

A food allergy is the body reacting to certain proteins in food. These reactions can be mild, such as hives and swelling of the lips, or, in extreme cases, can cause a deadly reaction called anaphylaxis. About 16 million or 6.2% of adults in the U.S. have a food allergy, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

According to the FDA, the eight most common food allergies in America are milk, peanuts, wheat, tree nuts, crustacean shellfish, fish, eggs and soybeans.

Many traditional holiday meals have the main eight food allergens. Stuffing, for example, usually contains milk, eggs and wheat. Many desserts also contain milk, wheat, eggs, soy and often many types of nuts.

Katie Rickels, a Fresno State student with celiac disease, said that communicating is the best way to make someone feel comfortable eating in your home.

“I think being open and transparent about what they are making and how they’re making it is a great way to communicate,” she said. “I think the thing that I struggle with the most is not wanting to seem rude by not eating things, but if I am not sure it is safe, I’m not going to eat it.”

Celiac disease is a serious autoimmune disease that occurs in genetically predisposed people in which the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation website.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America also states that food intolerance is when a person has trouble digesting certain foods. This can lead to bloating, gas, abdominal pain or diarrhea.

Rickels said her father got diagnosed about two years ago with celiac disease and was having similar symptoms to his diagnosis, so she decided to get tested through an upper endoscopy a year later. The results came back positive and she has strictly cut out gluten from her diet ever since.

“But I need to be very careful of gluten sneaking into food, reading labels, researching restaurants and watching out for cross-contamination,” Rickels said.

Homemade gluten-free food can get expensive to make and nerve-wracking when worrying about cross-contamination with gluten. Another way to provide for gluten-free people is to buy pre-made items that are certified gluten-free.

The Central Valley’s first 100% dedicated gluten-free bakery opened in 2022 at the corner of Shaw and West avenues in Fresno. The Bakery by Indulge Right offers celiac-safe, keto, vegan and diabetic food options.

“It works if you change your mindset. What’s hard is when others, who do not face these issues, are cooking or don’t understand the dangers of cross-contamination,” said Cheryl Gardner, a Fresno State professor who deals with gluten intolerance.

Gardner said she has learned that holidays with allergies and other food issues don’t have to end family traditions. They might change, but also new traditions will be made, allowing everyone to be involved.